Friday, November 28, 2008

Web Publishing Results & Deadline

I thought I had put the results of the exam online. I guess I didn't. The whole lot will be available soon enough anyway.

Some students took at the second shot at writing the essay. No student took my advice and started with a pencil and a blank sheet of paper.

A number of student will get zero and will get a letter from JimOD explaining that's why they got zero. I hope those letters will be organized on Monday or Tuesday. If you feel hard done by, there is a process you can trigger and some third parties will good at your essay and make a call. They also get to make a call on the punishment. That could be worse than just getting zero, but I've never heard of a penalty greater than that.

Some other students took a stab at second attempt. They got a mark that wasn't a whole lot better than zero (there was only 35% to play for anyway) but they won't be getting the letter home.

It won't take me too long to get the projects corrected one they are submitted. The module schedule says this is to be delivered in Week 12. Let's say Wednesday at 1600. After that will be considered late. But I really think you should get it done and dusted this weekend. Studying for exams is a better use of your time. This is only worth 30% of one module afterall.

COM1-CMOD6001 Results

I have updated my results for COM1 CMOD6001. Action is required on the part of some students, but if these students do nothing these marks will stand.

If you would like to know why you got a particular mark for any element please e-mail me to ask. I don't keep all of that information in my head, so please don't ask me in the hallway.

It is also possible that I have made a mistake. So please contact me if you think I may have.

COM1-CMOD6001 38

The group projects were due in today's class. A number of groups chose to submit late and take the 10% hit. This means that a project that might have got 50% will not get 40% (not 45%).

There will not be any more labs. In any event next week's lab time will be used for an exam in another subject.

I propose to have one more class. I would like to explain to students how recognition for prior learning (RPL) works and explain all about the Erasmus program.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Web Publishing 42

We had a lab in C125.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

COM1-CMOD6001 37

Students met in their groups. I got to speak to every group but one. Most seem to be on schedule to deliver on Friday.

Some groups left to go to labs. I hope that wasn't a sign that they are behind schedule. I didn't get to speak to them.

Web Publishing Project Handup

I expect to get an e-mai lfrom a representive of each group.

That e-mail will contain
1. The URL for the project
2. The names of the people in the group


Some time before the end of the semester I will contact that representive to organize a time to go through the project with (some of all of) the group. The main purpose of that meeting will be to show off features that I might have missed.

I will be using the project blogs in the assessment of the project.

If the group has a marked preference for everybody getting the same mark, or a marked preference for individual marks I should be advised of that.

Web Publishing 40 & 41

Students worked on their projects. Nearly there now.

I briefly outlined what procedure the dept (well JimOD) will use for dealing with the alleged plagiarism of the essays.

I repeated my advice to students to use a pencil and a blank sheet of paper to write their essays.

One student was interested in having a discussion about why it was necessary to copy and paste content from websites. I was not.

COM1 CMOD6001 Results

I have put some CA results online.

The first column is the last 4 digits of the student ID number. Where there are 3 digits there should be a zero in front.

The blanks represent gaps in the data that I have. Some gaps are easily explained (e.g. students who joined the course late for example). Others may be missing information.

If there is a blank entry for you please contact me letting me know what the story is. If you didn't submit, for example, that information will allow me to stop looking.

The 2nd column is the marks (out of 5) for the job & modules exercise. The 3rd column has the marks (out of 5) for the blogs. The 4th column has the marks (out of 100) for the presentations.

The publication of the essay marks will be delayed slightly.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Web Publishing 39

We had a lab class in IT1.3.

I showed students what a web interface to a hosting service might look like. But students might be better off using an FTP application.

While I was looking something up in TurnItIn a bunch of people gathered around. I'm not happy taht verybody saw everybody else's scores. TurnItIn's plagiarism score should not be taken too literally. It does not deal well with referenced material.

Monday, November 24, 2008

ITS1 CMOD6001 13 & 14

A few students turned up but they were working on other things. Since the last CA component was submitted last week it's not surprising that so few turned up.

ITS1 Exams

KITSU_6_Y1
STAT6006 15/12/2008 13:30 Statistical Calculations
COMP6009 18/12/2008 13:30 Networking Fundamentals
COMH6002 08/01/2009 18:30 Computer Architecture

COM1-CMOD6001 Essays

I asked several students to send/re-send their essay in electronic form. If you are one of those students the time when you will get zero for your essay is rapidly approaching.

COM1 CMOD6001 35A & 36A

I explained how the free module will work next semester.

I talked briefly about transfers to other courses.

Joint Statement from CIT and CIT Students Union

Joint Statement from CIT and CIT Students Union re “Christmas Day”

Dear Colleagues/Students,

“Christmas Day”, the traditional pre-Christmas fundraising event has been a feature of the CIT student calendar for the last number of years, as both a social event for students and a fundraising opportunity for charity.

Arising from excesses following the 2007 event, “Christmas Day” will not be taking place this year. This decision, which has already been communicated by the CIT Students Union President, has been taken with regret. This is, unfortunately, the consequence of the actions of some, who may or may not have been members of the CIT student body.

It has come to our attention that alternative, off-campus functions may be organised in the coming days. These events have no sanction or support from either Cork Institute of Technology or the CIT Students Union. We would urge you to communicate this through your classes, in the interests of upholding the good name of CIT, CIT Students Union and CIT students, past and present. We are also very concerned that our neighbours within the community are not inconvenienced or discommoded in any way. Our reputation in the community should not be put in jeopardy by ill-advised support of functions targeting the CIT student body.

We would welcome your assistance in advising students that all classes, laboratories, continuous assessment deadlines, etc. continue as normal this week.



Yours sincerely,


Dr. Barry O’Connor, Acting Registrar
GearĂ³id Buckley, President, CIT Students Union

COM1 Exam Timetable

STAT6006 15/12/2008 13:30 Statistical Calculations Exhibition Centre D158
COMP6009 18/12/2008 13:30 Networking Fundamentals WEST ATRIUM
COMH6002 08/01/2009 18:30 Computer Architecture WEST ATRIUM

COM1-CMOD6001 35B & 36B

I demonstrated how TurnItIn works using a paper volunteered by a student. However he hadn't cheated enough to fully demonstrate how it worked.

I talked students through the free choice modules available for next semester.

I talked briefly about transfers to other courses.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Beautiful Web Design

I came across this free chapter from "The Principles of Beautiful Web Design" by Jason Beaird. Not bad for a freebie.

http://sitepoint.com/books/design1/design1-sample.pdf


Some other sample chapters currently available are:
http://sitepoint.com/books/jsant1/jsant1-sample.pdf
http://sitepoint.com/books/html1/html1-sample.pdf
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/phpant2/phpant2-sample.pdf
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/Kevs-php-mysql.pdf
http://sitepoint.com/books/javascript1/javascript1-sample.pdf
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/jsdesign1/jsdesign1-sample.pdf
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/cssref1/cssref1-sample.pdf
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/csswrong1/csswrong1-sample.pdf
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/cssant2/cssant2-sample.pdf
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/css2/css2-sample.pdf
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/dhtml1/dhtml1-sample.pdf
http://sitepoint.com/books/checklists1/checklists1-sample.pdf

And a whole book:
http://cssdesign.s3.sitepoint.com/Art_Science_Of_CSS_Giveaway.zip

Friday, November 21, 2008

COM1-CMOD6001 33

{Wednesday}

I met with what groups were present.

COM1-CMOD6001 34

There were very few students in class. There was a night out last night.

There didn't seem to be many people present who had groups in common so there was very little work being done.

I gave away some cards with envelopes (there might be some left in the classroom) and a biscuit tin.

I took attendance at 0920 and left soon after.

Web Publishing Essays

[These comments refer to students taking COMP6023. Not COM1 students]

A number of students lifted large chucks of their essays from various websites. As it stands these students will get zero. For a number of these this means they will definitely fail this module overall.

A smaller number of students lifted bits from websites here and there. They will loose some marks and that could put them at risk of failing.

Other students did not cheat.

I am prepared to accept new essays from any student that wants to submit it by noon on Friday 28 November. The maximum marks these new late essays can earn is 35%. But this might make the difference between a pass and a fail for some students.

This is not a recommendation to disguise your cheating better. The threshold for lifted content in these new essays will be set very very low. I strongly recommend that you start with a pencil and a sheet of blank paper and work from there.

For the small number of students who did not get zero I will award the higher of the two scores should they choose to resubmit.

Students who have not submitted anything at all yet are free to submit now for a possible 35%. Students are also free to change topic.

Last chance. Use it wisely.